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James Seton Gray Jr.
James Seton Gray, Jr. (February 1, 1914 — August 28, 1998), was a highly decorated flying ace, squadron commander, night-fighter, expert rifleman, expert pistol shot, the first Double Eagle in the U.S. State of Wisconsin, naval flight aviator, stroke oar, and the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year of 1966 at Wauwatosa East High School. Biography Gray has begun flying in the year of 1928 at age 14, receiving an airman's certificate in continuous effect since age 16. Gray graduated from East in the year of 1932. He was designated Naval aviator in June of 1939. He was with the fighting squadron aboard the Carrier Enterprise in 1939 through Pearl Harbor. He succeeded to command during early actions of the war, including the Battle of Midway. In 1942-43 he commanded the fighter training squadron at Pensacola, Fla. After voluntering for night-fighter duty in 1943, he returned to the Enterprise as night-fighter squadron commander and succeeded to the command of Fighting Squadron 20 in October of 1944, upon the loss in combat of its commanding officer. At the war's end he commanded Carrier Air Group Three. In 1947 and 1948 he commanded Patrol squadron 22 in the western Pacific, the "Pacific Typhoon Chasers." In 1951 and 1952, Captain Gray served as executive officer of the USS Coral Sea during two Mediterranean cruises. He also served as operations officer for the Commander Fleet Air, Mediterranean, at Naples. In 1955, Captain Gray became a member of the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic fleet, as senior nuclear weapons planner. He remained there until leaving to serve with the Joint staff in Washington as a member of the Joint Advanced Study group. He also commanded the USS Mauna Loa and USS Suribachi. He returned to the Naval operations office in 1961. Captain Gray was the Navy's first all-weather flying coordinator for the Chief of Naval Operations and is author of the original version of the "All-Weather Flight Manual, U.S. Navy." He initiated compulsory instrument rating for all Naval aviators. He was credited by Admiral Burke as being "a driving force" in the Navy decision to pursue low-level attack vs. high altitude in 1956. Retired on Jan. 1 from the United States Navy, he was deputy commandant of the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Va. He had been a member of the first class there. He also served as a member of the board of directors of Fuller Manufacturing Company from 1948 until 1958. His prior business experience also includes deputy assistant chief of naval operations. He received the MBA degree in 1963 from George Washington university. Captain Gray and his first wife, who died in 1964, had two daughters, Mrs. Susan Gray McGreivy and Elizabeth Barrett. He remarried in January of 1966 and plans to bring his wife with him for then award presentation. The former Wauwatosan current was an AFSC squash champion. His hobbies also included tennis, golf, skiing, sailing, art, music ball room dancing, and photography. Awards, and decorations *Distinguished Flying Cross *Distinguished Flying Cross *Distinguished Flying Cross *Distinguished Flying Cross *Distinguished Flying Cross *Air medal *Air medal *Air medal *Air medal *Air medal *Presidential Unit citation *Presidential Unit citation *Navy Unit commendation *Navy Unit commendation *Treasury Department Gold Life Saving medal *Expert rifleman *Expert pistol shot *Airman's certificate Category:Persons of Note Category:United States Navy personnel Category:1914 births Category:1998 deaths Category:Wauwatosa East Alumni